My dear Madam
In the letter I wrote you five days ago I promised you should soon hear from me through the Bishop of Carlisle, but, instead of this, I am tempted to trouble you with another letter by post, lest I should delay longer than I either intended or wished to do, though this at least I can engage for, that you shall, before many days are over, receive through him the Utricularia & Conferva. The opinion I can give you upon your parcel must be a very unsatisfactory one. I am not at home as I wish to be, among the Lichens, & there are two families, particularly, in this vast tribe, the gelatinous ones & the Baeomycides [Cladoniaceae], that nobody understands as they should do. These, therefore, I recommend to your special care; they are very beautiful & very interesting, & you seem to live in an excellent country for them. Here, too, we have extensive heaths, & I threaten that this winter shall not pass away without my being master of the Baeomycides, but I should like of all things to have you studying them at the same time as I do, that we may compare our observations together, & I will beg of you to save me, not only specimens of every species & variety, but many & large specimens of each. I will with great pleasure do the same for you here, if you wish it, &, as it is of no consequence how big our future parcels may be, large specimens may be sent as well as smaller ones. Now then for your parcel, lest, suffering myself to prose as I always do when writing to you, I should again not leave myself room to write about it.
Spergula saginoides You are certainly right about this. I never saw the plant before, &, if you find more, should be thankful for a farther supply.
Lichen unicalis? Sticta limbata? — Usnea plicata — Baeomyces subulatus — Peltidea horizontalis — in all these we are agreed.
Peltidea canina? Seems to me the same as mine.
Tortola ruralis? — the plant grows thus, commonly, with us.
Baeomyces cocciferus — not exactly like ours, for your specimens are smaller & the colour less vivid; but I still think them the same. —
Conferva No 64 — I can see nothing in this now it is dry distinct from C sordida
Lichens No 19 Lecidea lurida
+ 21. This appears to me to be Parmelia perlata, but Mr Borrer shakes his head.
+ 22. Peltidea resupinata — you will easily find this in fruit, for it bears it plentifully.
+ 23. Parmelia brunnea — the same as L pezizoides of Withering.
+ 24. Parmelia lutea.
+ 25. Lecidea muscorum — scarcely different from Lecidea parasema.
+ 26. I do not know what this may be — pray send more of it.
+ 27. Parmelia atra.
28. Some Variolaria I think, in an imperfect state: the black granules on it I suppose to be parasitical.
29. Both the Lichen and the hard clay are pulverized: so that I cannot guess at it.
30. Endocarpon amphibium.
+ 31. Parmelia laevigata — (not in Withering).
+ 32. Parmelia lacera — L tremelloides of Withering.
+ 33. Parmelia sinuata.
+ 34. Parmelia flaccida.
+ 35. Variety of P farinacea — as you say. Have you ever seen this species with shields?
+ 36. Baeomyces alcicornis of Acharius, not of English writers. Pray send more.
+ 37. Baeomyces epiphyllus — pray send more.
+ 38. Variety of Baeomyces gracilis, I think.
39. Variety of B rangiferinus — we have the same here.
+ 40. & 41. I believe both these to be varieties of B cornutus.
+ 42. I do not know this — pray send more.
+ 43. Of this I am not sure, but believe it a variety of B scolecinus, which is not in Withering.
+ 44. Isidium corallinum — I should be glad of a good specimen or two as perfect as can be got; particularly with the margin.
About your Equisetum I cannot at all satisfy myself: it is most probably E limosum, as you say; but it is not like my specimens at all. Your minute Conferva on F loreus [text missing] letter, I know nothing in the world about — what a little beauty it is? — By the way; if it is not intruding too much on your goodness, might I ask you to make for my Hist Fuc a drawing of F loreus, which I have never been able to find here since the work began: the specimen of course must not be too large for a folding plate at most; & I should be glad of magnified sections to show the internal structure & the fruit which must now be at maturity. I should wish too, if it were practicable, to have a plant or two in their first stages put by the side of the figure. See, my dear Madam, to what trouble the kindness you have always shown me subjects you. Do, however, believe I am not insensible of your goodness & do rank me always amongst the foremost of
Your obliged & sincere friends
Dawson Turner —
Yarmouth 28 January 1810
Please cite as “EHT044,” in Ɛpsilon: Ellen Hutchins Collection accessed on